I’ve been doing some graphics and video production through Android mobile platform via tablet & phone. There’s a suite of software from Cyberlink that has me pretty impressed. These are free, have both free and pay add-ons, and have a pro version as well. Their Easter sale at 70% off ended yesterday 😕

PowerDirector does allow music tracks to be uploaded and used as backing audio over video. There are 3 audio channels – native with video, channel 1 & 2. That allows for backing audio to be crossfaded between tracks, or highlight audio to pop on top. You can control how much volume each channel gets in the result.

Sample Video

Apricot French Toast video made with PowerDirector, has a still image added from PhotoDirector with stickers, text, photo effects on it. The key image on this post is also from PhotoDirector.

I haven’t yet worked with the suite on my laptop but that’s likely to happen soon. Once you learn the interface from one package the others are fairly similar.

I have lived more than half my life in an embedded system that I learned little to nothing about having privilege as a white male. I never sought out privilege and there was no education regarding this topic. However white male privilege is present, I have been granted it without question. At some point, when your mind clears enough to hear and be aware, you then discover how the world encounters your existence.

Sometimes you’ll be declaring that you hear clearly in response to the affront from those stating you still haven’t heard. Slow down in the frustration, open up more listening, embrace with empathy where you might be missing connection. It is a bit like balance, you might have it one moment and slide off it the next. The next question is how to be responsible with that awareness, and not shy away from being in the conversation fully.

Can those whom are more oppressed accept assistance from those carrying privilege responsibly, or does that mearly seem like a cheap facade to those oppressed? We have to learn to accept where the oppressed find themselves and see those with some awareness of privilege. Leading and organizing to do something about racism from inside the ranks of privilege can be powerful. Leading can be easily dismissed as grand-standing on privilege especially when there is no visible acknowledgement of partnering with the oppressed. Checking in on acceptance with humility is important.

Contaminated By Fear

It’s time. Human beings must not continue to allow our spaces to be so contaminated by ‪#‎FEAR‬ that we dwell in the darkness of our differences. If we can plainly see that no one wants more of what is happening and people are willing to have the kinds of conversations in their environments that can induce or provoke positive change, why shun them? Embrace what you perceive as their ignorance.

The only way to achieve the needed change is to enhance perspective; that is what true revolution is about. The only way to do that is by finishing the conversation and understanding that even if we don’t agree with someone’s point of view, that does not make it invalid; that is how they currently see things. No one who feels disrespected or as if their opinion is being invalidated is interested in finishing the conversation.

You think somebody’s opinion is bullshit? Well, now you have a real life decision to make, don’t you, oh “aware” one? Are you a messenger of The Way or just a different shade of #FEAR?‪#‎WAGELOVE‬. ‪#‎ZOOM‬

Knowledge of Influences is Key to Liberation

Our minds bring so much confusion to our hearts. Far too often the tough work of being fully aware is denied. We surround ourselves with a supportive society that condones separation – claiming to be our support network. Many fear breaking free from this bonding relationship as it offers us some form of identification. It is dangerous in our minds to be both independent and interdependent.

WageLove, face FEAR without shame, but get to know fear well. You don’t get to know fear by standing inside it. There is a certain sense of knowing in that mode, however observing how it functions, thrives and is created are vital – especially as a peace maker!

The emphasis in peace making is to observe first, get to know the inluencing factors and how to assist a person caught to see those influences and the role of influence that bind better. When you are armed with knowledge, truth can liberate.

Again the phone number calling was “private number”, which sadly I have a friend who calls me and is always listed as private number. So I’ve been tuned in to taking those phone calls when they happen. Obviously it has to stop now, and my friend is going to have to text message me prior to calling so I know it is them rather than this scammer or another. This scamming needs to also be known as stalking as it is changing how I’m handling my life. Continue reading Identity Theft Redux→

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I’ve had the dubious privilege to have a “R*** K***” call my phone using a private number. Speaking heavily accented and broken english I was asked for my email address. The reason for this was confusing at best. He said something about they wanted to send me money but needed $350 to send it.

The crude attempts to impersonate the US Marshals Service are nearly comical, however sadly real.

Why would an official send an email through a gmail.com address?

Misspelled words and improper English abound in the communication both verbally and in written form.

The line breaks and replaced words in the email text show that this is a cut-and-paste email. I believe that he literally was pasting it up and replacing words as needed while I was on the phone with him.

Urgency expressed in making sure the information was sent as quickly as possible. When asked for verification of anything, even asking for what number he called to reach me, never had a significant reply to offer proof.

He offered a phone number to reach him 407-45*-**** which is for a T-Mobile phone based out of the Kissimmee, Florida exchange. Why would that be used for US Marshals Service based in “North Darkota”?

I’ve tracked down the assumption of identity on the part of the caller, and I’m contacting them – hence their name and address are obscured in this post. How did I find this? Listed as results from Google that passed through a White Pages search using the name and address. This provided even more identifying information.

Email Received

David L. Harlow, Acting Director United States Marshals Service. David Harlow became the Acting Director of the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) on July 26, 2015, following more than 30 years of dedicated service in the Agency.

Subject: I am R*** K*** The Acting Director of U.S. Marshals Service From: david harlow <usmarshaldavidharlow@gmail.com>1)Why is the email address using gmail? Recieved: Tuesday, September 22, 2015 at 7:34pm EDT

I am R**** K*** The Acting Director of U.S. Marshals Service (UMS)2)US Marshals Service abbreviates as USMS, not UMS District of North Darkota in alliance with economic community of World Bank Swiss (ECWBS) with afliated Office here in North Darkota. We have been working towards the Track Down Of Fraudsters and scam Artists in Western part of Africa With the help of United States Government Secret Agents glued with Anti Money Lundering Squad.3)Never heard officials call an operation “Track Down of Fraudsters”. How exactly have Secret Agents been “glued with” an “Anti Money Lundering[sic] Squad”?

We have been able to track down so many of this scam artist in various parts of west African countries which includes (NIGERIA, REPUBLIC OF BENIN, TOGO, GHANA, CAMEROUN, BURKINA FASO, MALI, SENEGAL, COTE D IVOIRE AND LONDON) and they are all in our custody here in North Darkota Usa.4)Incredible that everyone being sought is in custody, and brought to North Dakota of all places! Interesting that the Ivory Coast is known by the French origin name Cote D’Ivoire. And even more interesting are references to locations going through a change of regime – Benin / Burkinga Faso. These are likely tips as to the originator’s location.

We have been able to recover so much money from these scam artists. The United Nation Anti-crime commission and the United State Government have ordered the money recovered from the Scammers to be shared among 500 Lucky people around the globe for their compensation as scam victims.5)I wonder how I became one of these “500 lucky people”. I asked during his call if they had identified me as a victim of scams, there was no comprehendable reply.

This email is been directed to you because your email address was found in one of the scam Artists file and computer hard disk in our custody here in North Darkota. you will only pay $350 follar insurance so mr john will deliver

You are therefore being compensated with $1.1 Million Dollars. We have also arrested all those who claim that they are Barristers, Bank Officials, Lottery Agents who

has money for transfer or want you to be the next of kin of such funds which do not exist. Since your name appeared among the lucky beneficiaries who will receive a

compensation of $1.1 Million, we have arranged your payment through our Swift card payment center6)Apparently Swift has been identified by others in scam schemes (1). Swift is a prepaid card service available through Discover Card Services. . Feel free to contact the processing officer JOHN CARL ROES. The

swift card has been specially prepared to enable you withdraw your money in any ATM machine in any part of the world, but the maximum is Six Thousand Dollars Only per

day.

So you are advice to contact the swift center officer MR R K*** with your provided information’s as required.

As a person that has been scammed in the distant past I’m keenly aware of what identity theft looks like. The final 5 items requested are exactly what constitutes an attempt to secure your identity.

I would not have received this email without offering an email address to recieve it. The email address used is one which I’ve let languish for a long time.

Repeat Calling Behavior

It seems R*** is excited that he was able to “speak” with me for 23 minutes – as I was trying to decipher what he said, who he was, and what his purpose ultimately will be. In the end none of this was really answered.

The call was followed up by another at 7:47pm to make sure I got his email. Eventually during the call I grew frustrated, he asked if I wanted to speak with someone else when I asked him to give me the phone number for the US Marshals HQ office in North Dakota. I replied “sure”, he seemed to hestitate, fumble around a little, then I got another email. If he was truly working for the USMS he would have been able to find that number easily, it was never produced.

Second Email Requesting Information

Using same subject and origin email sender as above: Received Tuesday, September 22, 2015 at 7:59pm

HELLO DEAR

IN RESPECT TO OUR TELEPHONE CONVERSATION BELOW IS THE INFORMATION TO SEND THE $350 DOLLARS FOR US TO PROCEED WITH THE DELIVERY OF YOUR VISA CARD BY TOMMOROW REGARDING THE DELIVER RECORDS

I AM WAITING TO HEAR FROM YOU SO THAT I WILL SEND THE PAYMENT INFORMATION TO THE CARD DELIVERY CENTER INCLUDING YOUR PHISICAL ADDRESS OF LOCATION SO THAT YOUR CARD WILL BE PROPERLY DELIVERED

THANKS AND BEST REGARDSMR R*** K***

On Tue, Sep 22, 2015 at 12:34 PM, Fuzzytek <****@****.com> wrote:Best place to find me is at http://fuzzytek.com

More Repeat Phone Calls from Private Number

Since this I’ve had calls at 7:51pm, 8:11pm. and 8:35pm – these were not answered or sent to voicemail. I’m wondering how to block a private number and it doesn’t seem possible. Although I do believe my phone provider *could* find out what number and location if pressed by federal authorities.

Why So Much Interest?

I believe R*** is pursuing me because he senses that I’m educated and have opened a dialogue. Unfortunate for him the dialogue is now over. I’m documenting what has been sent and said. Any future “private caller” calls are going into voicemail.

If you know people who are adept at pursuing identity theft, fraud, and marketing harrassment – please leave a comment. Wednesday morning I will give a call to the US Marshal’s Office in North Dakota and turn information over to them.

Resources

Curious to know what scamming looks like? Check any of these resource websites:

Never heard officials call an operation “Track Down of Fraudsters”. How exactly have Secret Agents been “glued with” an “Anti Money Lundering[sic] Squad”?

4.

↑

Incredible that everyone being sought is in custody, and brought to North Dakota of all places! Interesting that the Ivory Coast is known by the French origin name Cote D’Ivoire. And even more interesting are references to locations going through a change of regime – Benin / Burkinga Faso. These are likely tips as to the originator’s location.

5.

↑

I wonder how I became one of these “500 lucky people”. I asked during his call if they had identified me as a victim of scams, there was no comprehendable reply.

6.

↑

Apparently Swift has been identified by others in scam schemes (1). Swift is a prepaid card service available through Discover Card Services.

7.

↑

Appears to be a fictious address, can’t find as given using Google Maps.

As a person that has been developing websites for a number of clients I’ve seen a difficulty in retaining those sites developed. It seems that establishing annual terms isn’t working out very well. Domain renewal comes up and perhaps the topic being pursued has lost interest or the timeliness has ran its course. A good example of this is political campaign websites.

On the hosting side of things the renewal of domain licensing is often what takes a website out of circulation.

Domain Lifecycle

Once a domain expires the services bound with it – email accounts, website content, and more are no longer accessible until the domain fees are brought current. There is a short time window available for bringing things current and the popularity of your domain can create a lineup of interested 3rd parties bidding on taking over your domain.

Municipal leaders from three counties of southeast Michigan agreed to allow Detroit to lease its water system to the newly formed GLWA – Great Lakes Water Authority.

For years the surrounding counties – Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb – have been buying their water from the city. They’ve long complained they didn’t get enough say over their rates or big decisions about the system.

This deal will, at least in theory, give suburbanites more direct power over the system, and (they hope) lower rates in the long run.

In exchange, the authority will pay Detroit $50 million a year in lease payments.

And it will set up a $4.5 million regional water assistance fund for low-income customers behind on their bills.1)Detroit, suburbs reach water deal, Michigan Public Radio, June 12, 2015

Some will draw a line between Hip Hop and spoken word. For the sake of reading to your fullest enjoyment, please set aside this divide to enjoy this post fully. I was fortunate to be tagged by a Facebook friend on a share of this article on The Spiritual Age of Hip Hop in the Syracuse New Times.

Hip Hop is extremely diverse, cultured, educated, emotional and is constantly evolving. The next evolution is taking us to a higher plane, one where more artists are expressing their spiritual views of life in their music. Welcome to #TheSpiritualAgeOfHipHop.

The article lists so many Detroit talents within whom we #WageLove in our communities locally and globally. The awareness to what we face at home seems to be overlooked by far too many. We need #FireSpit to clear the misconceptions that maligned mainstream media have clouded the truth from general consciousness.

Truly raising consciousness is what we must request of our talent. We can acknowledge the divide which society drones into our existence and overpopulizes through marketing and fiat currency value. But we must rise above with a higher message. Those from human compassion and dignity. Our society is no better than how we treat the least among us. Those people and situations which are the “least common denominator” are the claims we must own and raise up. Surround them with love and seek to perceive what can be when united in peace. Peace is far more than silence, it is moving and active, forging bonds of interconnectivity and trust.

Detroit State of Mind

Listen in on “Belle Isle Bountiful” conversation with 5ELA artists DJ LaJedi and Ambiance. These are the situations, thoughts, conversations and unity that bring higher consciousness in our music and lives.

Spoken Word and Cypher from The Raiz Up at #ISMG15

Several of those who were on stage are what I consider the best talent Detroit has to offer. Bringing truth and revelations through their words to those who take the time to soak their soul in them.

ISMG15 is the International Social Movements Gathering, bringing people from Detroit, our region, nationally, and internationally together focused at this time on the Water and Housing situations we face in Detroit and in our society. We have to pay particular attention to the words of introduction for Governor Snyder on Wednesday at the Mackinac Policy Conference – “the template that he is building in Michigan is being watched across the country and internationally”. Are the conditions we encounter of sacrificing the most poor by violating our human rights truly the template to push globally?

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When I took a photo of Michael, aka “Dreadlock Mike” a few years before he was murdered by a hit and run driver – I asked him for permission, because I knew how impactful his photo would be in my life. What I mean is not so much the photograph itself. It is the connectivity we have with each other in all our conditions as humans.

Michael, 2012 Fuzzytek Photography

I’d seen Michael around the streets plenty over a decade or more, and he had come to recognize me as well. I had changed from being employed at Blue Cross Blue Shield Michigan (roughly 1986 – 2004), to taking up being a freelance photographer, and subsequently from 2011 known more as a community activist. I was fascinated by a photographer’s exhibition at the Russell Industrial Center which contained a lot of photos of Michael, this was after taking this single photo. I suppose my fascination was that I had a barrier to cross for a single photo, and I was encircled by many.

Not long after going into photography (2005) I saw the website Lightstalking.org and became engaged reading about photographers working in so many ways helped me immensely. There were war correspondents, fashion photographers, and so much more connecting through the site. It seemed many were traveling from place to place and connecting through the site for a temporary place to stay while on assignment. You might imagine the perks of coachsurfing to stay with another person sharing your passion and having equipment they might offer use of on the trip. Additionally you get localized during the stay and that can carry so much depth into the photos taken when you are familiar with the issues.

Lessons from Occupy Detroit

There are so many issues being faced by Detroit and it seems everyone wants to offer advice into the situation. It gets rather difficult to understand the stands around the issues until you look at the level of personal investment and capability of support had by those speaking and taking a stand.

Who Holds An Invested Interest?

City of Detroit residents

Workers in the city

Metropolitan are residents

Workers in metropolitan Detroit

Employers in the city

Employers in the metro area

People that formerly worked in Detroit or in the metro area

People considering coming to Detroit or the metro area

People who may invest in Detroit’s future in some manner

Curious bystanders – oddly this may be one of the largest populations if you follow comment posts made about Detroit that somehow seem to think it should be removed from the face of the planet

James Cole is a lawyer and civil rights fighter

I think that covers just about all the angles, and I’ll say that the weight of personal investment runs highest from the top of the list to the bottom. Those that are at the top of the list quite often have a tough time hearing solutions from people with what is perceived to be a lessor personal investment. That’s common in every community – those impacted directly are undeniably affected the most.

How To Occupy And Support?

Every position has the ability to learn through listening prior to (or while) proposing solutions to issues. Sometimes it will seem like a lot of venting going on with little solution. People just want to see change happen and positive results, be that in the removal of issues or growth of opportunities. Personal accounts can be valuable lessons to those whom haven’t had to deal with them.

For example, today I was in a meeting regarding public transportation and we had several handicapped members attending. I mentioned that many of us don’t personally encounter the difficulty these people do daily until we “break a foot”, then we experience it for a brief spell and can go back to how we’ve known access. We have to consider with some handicap situations there is no “brief time” in the concerns raised. Things won’t just get better unless we do something that makes it better for us. In doing that for ourselves, are we then making it more difficult for others or improving for everyone?

Coming up with a least common denominator (LCD) solution is going to be the answer, however even that can be troubling or difficult to implement. Moderating a discussion to find that LCD can be difficult with a wide number of personal encounters and opinions. This is where consensus building enters and that is one area Occupy movements have championed worldwide. Everyone has a stake in creating a position and taking actions on it that unify.

Can A Revolution Be Consented?

Jasahn Larosa from This Hood Of Ours

One of the concerns is that radical measures may be tough to get passed by consensus. We may be able to inspire a revolution, but personal risks and encounters can stand in the way of being in the active wave of revolution. It takes radical and passionate action that sometimes sees the consequences and is willing to accept that being revolutionary is dangerous. Those that see they can’t take the risks may choose to stand aside or offer support with limited involvement. All of these positions are helpful and needed for revolutionary action and should not be discounted. They are a reflection of personal investment in the situation and may end up changing the allies in your life as you mount an assault on society’s standards.

I’d like to ask people reading to support the world you’d like to see and be as active as you possibly can. You’ll meet people along the way, listen to new ideas, hear testimony, and hopefully be able to offer testimony yourself providing encouragement.

Becoming The Change Desired

I wrote the above two and a half years ago and the conditions at the time – Emergency Manager and Detroit Bankruptcy – have passed, but the impact of these hasn’t changed what intended above. I can say that I’ve been going through personal evolution myself and seeing the power of full and complete dialogue.

Living As a Peace Maker

The only way to get to complete dialogues is through healing and consciousness. We have to connect with the essence of human life in its individual experiences – being mindful that each of us has had encounters that shape the reality we are living. There’s going to be a lot of hurt and denial. Some dialogues bring up pain that we end up healing over and over. Even the notion of going through that path again leads to stress. We avoid confrontation with stress as much as we can. We bond with and circle our selves with those whom we’ve had the most healing and find unity of perspective with.

There’s a problem that happens when highly active people and their communities push back and deny confronting difficult dialogues in our lives. The potential for great work to be done starts to limit how it can occur. The willingness and conditions we place on making progress take on monumental proportions because community acceptance is integral to the respect we carry. This is why consciousness raising for communities is critical and the ability to continue to accept and respect outlying perspectives from community members as a path for evolution.

Consulting “the Elders”

Quite often acceptance has to be sought from elders in the community, those whom we honor with wisdom from their experience of perspectives changing through life and it’s encounters. Those with many encounters and great variations in perspective truly do carry wisdom and age can be inconsequential.

Community status is carried and the gateways for acceptance can be guarded by the elders. You can risk much when proving something outside what is accepted.

I’m going to leave “the chase down the rabbit hole” for another series of posts on consciousness. Bringing this post full circle back to responsibility as a photographer.

Overstepping The Triggers For Social Concern

There will be times that a photographer oversteps the boundaries which society finds comforting. Photographing the homeless, destitute, least privileged, our youth, our elders, the infirm, and those dying or dead – these are triggers for societal concerns. I can even say there are lifestyle choices that are hard to photograph. Some will ask why didn’t the photographer move from observing to being involved. Finding consent sometimes isn’t just with the subject or society, it rests in the photographer’s psyche. As a photographer, my experience is that we carve out what we are comfortable with and how we work with that subject material. Our perceptions are also evolving and that may influence our comfort as well. Some photographs bring thoughts that trigger self-healing and the journey of life – they can raise our consciousness. This can also happen communally.

Community justice advocate, researcher, writer and organizer. My formal background is in computing. My current activities use this background to push forward an agenda from the people impacted. I'm also a Green Party candidate for public office - http://BoyleForMichigan.us
Each day each of us has the ability to "connect people with possibility", how are you engaged?
Normal never offered change or evolution, so why are we asked to be normal?
Be unpredictably bold as a free spirit encountering life.

Recent Posts: Fuzzytek

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